Final Demand: A Novel Hardcover – June 6, 2017

I gave this book four stars because it's very well written. But, wow. It is seriously depressing. Do not read unless you like wallowing in tragedy. The book has two vibes. It starts out as a bad girl caper story, then abruptly it becomes a meditation on sorrow and loss. Once again, do not read unless you're prepared to be depressed.

Poignant and engaging read; I felt consistently connected to the story and to the protagonist, the subplots are organic to the story and though well-structured it does not seem contrived.The excellent supporting characters are compelling in their own right, and the twists and turns that raise moral questions are thought-provoking and plausible.Plenty of dark humor, irony, social commentary and characterization effortlessly interwoven as a fairly fast-paced and intriguing personal portrait of a young woman at odds with the world. Very relevant to our times.

This is an excellent, engaging and very well written book. I read it straight through, it's that good! I highly recommend it.

The writing is delicious to the point where one must on occasion read it out loud in order to truly taste it. Character study is intensely perfect. How would define a sociopath?

A compelling story and beautifully written. Gives the reader a new understanding of a criminal mind.Will read it again.

A good read that follows the path of an ambitious but lazy young wornen. What starts out as a simple solution to her immediate problem of wanting more out if life turns into a interesting tale of of cause, effect and guilt.

I was given this book as a gift onto my Kindle and, it is one of the best books that I have ever read. I didn't want to put the book down

I guess I felt disappointed after having read "The Best Marigold Hotel" and other Moggach books. This book had an interesting plot where a young woman deviously comes up with a plan to steal customer money. The results of one theft cause someone her life, and the protagonist eventually finds out how she caused the misfortune. She denies responsibility for a long time and even deserts her husband, job, and life style so she can escape punishment, and so she can start a new scam.One possible theme is the snowballing consequences of our selfish and unthinking decisions when we act without thinking of others. The thrill of the chase takes precedence. The ending seems tacked on and doesn't have the power of the rest of the book; it was a whimper, not a bang.

A novel about the chain of unintended consequences is thought provoking and challenging. None of us lives in a bubble.The reason I have given it 4 stars not 5 is because there is one area in which I think it is irresponsible. There is one character called Chloe who is described as fat and she ‘waddles’ rather than walks. In my head I imagined her as fat and waddling - why not? Later we discover she is a size 16. Really? What message is the author sending out? In this day and age of the prevalence of anorexia, surely the author is irresponsible to describe even her own father disgusted at his daughter being a size 16?

A book that has stayed with me over the years. I read it again recently & loved it. Many of Deborah Moggach's books are different and I have probably read all of them. This one is one of her best, along with Stolen, Porky & Marigold Hotel. Difficult subjects.Without giving too much away, a person with money problems decides on a course of action which has implications for so many. Let's call it the 'ripple effect'. Definitely worth a read - and it is an easy read too.

I have read and enjoyed some of Deborah Moggach’s books. This one has her usual good , well written characters but the storyline is not very plausible. I can see she was trying to show actions have consequences but I found the leap from Natalie’s story to her victims story confusing.The ending seemed unlikely and abrupt.

I love Deborah Moggach, but I have to admit that at first I was dismayed by this book; once or twice I had to check that it was, in fact, written by this esteemed author. I almost gave up, but thankfully I didn’t. It is a departure from the norm, but its freshness and originality are testament to the skill and talent of its author. You cannot ever pigeonhole Deborah Moggach, which makes for a stimulating and engrossing read every time. Lose yourself in this read. Another page-Turner ......

Working in a humdrum job for a telecommunications company, Natalie's mind turns to thoughts of fraud. If only she had the same initials as the firm for which she works, just a tiny adaptation could be made and she could then deposit it's incoming cheques in back accounts of her own. She already has the N (for Natalie). Now she just needs to marry a man whose surname begins with T. Enter the gentle, besotted and unsuspecting Colin.So far, so good. But here, the ripple effect begins, and a parallel story emerges of another family, and a terrible tragedy; one which would never have happened had it not been for Natalie's new life of crime.The two stories - of Natalie, and of the family which is struck by tragedy - are told alternately, and each is equally engrossing. While I found the novel a little slow to start off with, it certainly gained pace towards the end. The ending itself was surprisingly abrupt, but on the whole, I enjoyed this novel. It is by no means one of the author's best, but well worth reading. Recommended.